Under the new law, job postings must clearly state the wage or salary range expected for the position, detailed descriptions of additional compensation such as bonuses, stock options, and other incentives, as well as a comprehensive breakdown of benefits. This requirement extends to both internal and external job postings and applies regardless of whether jobs are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

“Here in Illinois, we’ve taken action to close the pay gap and strengthen protections for workers — and these amendments to the Illinois Equal Pay Act are another critical step in that fight,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By ensuring that compensation and benefits are clear from the start, workers will have the information they need to make informed decisions, helping to create a more equitable job market.”

Moreover, the law mandates that employers notify their current employees about all open job positions within 14 days of their public posting, ensuring that current employees are aware of advancement opportunities.

Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to significant penalties for employers. For active job postings, fines can range from $500 for a first offense to up to $10,000 for third or subsequent offenses. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) will oversee the enforcement of these provisions, with the authority to initiate investigations based on complaints submitted by individuals within one year of the alleged violation.

The IDOL is empowered to issue correction notices to employers who fail to comply, outlining the nature of the violation and the timeline for resolution. In addition to fines, ongoing record-keeping requirements compel employers to maintain records of job postings, pay scales, and benefits for each position for at least five years.

This legislative update is a clear step forward in Illinois’ ongoing efforts to ensure pay equity and transparency, benefiting employers and workers alike by fostering an open and equitable work environment. Employers are urged to prepare for these changes by revising their job posting and promotional practices to align with the new transparency standards before they take effect in 2025.

“When employers aren’t transparent about pay, gender and racial wage gaps widen, costing women and people of color valuable compensation,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Illinois’ new Pay Transparency law is a resounding win for the working people who call our state home. Not only will transparency help close gender and racial wage gaps, it will also empower EVERY worker considering how potential income will impact their families.”

Other states with wage transparency laws include: Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

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Pertussis is a very contagious illness that spreads easily through coughing and sneezing, especially in households and indoor settings where people are in close contact with someone who has pertussis. Symptoms typically appear five to 10 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. The illness often begins with symptoms similar to a common cold—runny nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever—but can progress to severe coughing fits ending with a “whooping” sound. In some cases, it can lead to complications, particularly in vulnerable populations. Pertussis poses the greatest risk to infants, young children, and unvaccinated individuals. People that have been vaccinated against pertussis may have milder symptoms, but it is important to know that they can still spread it to others. If you or a loved one develop symptoms of pertussis, especially after being in close contact with someone diagnosed with the illness, contact your healthcare provider right away.

To prevent further transmission, patients diagnosed with pertussis must avoid daycare, school, work, and public gatherings for at least five days after starting appropriate antibiotic therapy. While most individuals recover completely, complications can be severe for high-risk groups, particularly infants under one year and children who are not fully immunized.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recommends antibiotic treatment for specific close contacts of someone with pertussis, even if they were recently vaccinated. Close contacts include household members or anyone who has had direct exposure to respiratory, oral, or nasal secretions, or has been within three feet of the infected individual for at least five minutes.

Staying up to date with routine vaccination is the best way to protect against pertussis. Most children are immunized against pertussis with a series of DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) vaccine doses, but immunity wanes during adolescence. Since 2005, the Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) booster vaccine has been available for children, adolescents and adults. It is recommended routinely at ages 11–12.

Vaccinating women with Tdap during each pregnancy, ideally in the early third trimester, is critical to protecting newborns. This practice shields 9 in 10 babies from hospitalization due to whooping cough during their first months of life when they are too young to be vaccinated.

Adults who have never received Tdap should get a dose, followed by a booster every 10 years to maintain protection.

CUPHD provides pertussis vaccines and boosters to individuals of all ages, Monday through Friday, at 201 West Kenyon Road, Champaign. To schedule an appointment, call 217-531-4317.

Taking the following daily actions can also help stop the spread of germs:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth.
• Stay home and away from others if you feel sick.
• Avoid being around others who are sick.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze and encourage children to do the same.

For more information visit https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html.

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Visitors will have the opportunity to craft unique holiday gifts and decorations using natural materials at various creation stations. Children can make personalized treasures to share with family and friends, while families can come together to prepare treats to hang from trees as a special gift to local wildlife.

Guests are welcome to drop in anytime during program hours, and children must be accompanied by an adult. With activities suitable for all ages, the event aims to spread holiday spirit and promote environmentally friendly practices.

For more information, contact the Champaign County Forest Preserve District at (217) 896-2455 or cprahl@ccfpd.org.

So, mark your calendars and join in the fun—because there’s truly no place like Homer for the holidays!

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Hosted by the Museum of the Grand Prairie, the event invites visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in the seasonal glow of beautifully illuminated gardens. This free community event also features a variety of special activities to enhance your Night Lights experience.

Special Events to Brighten Your Visit:

• Friday, December 6: Sips & Serenades with Gearl Grey Duo (5-7 PM)
  Enjoy the soothing melodies of live music while sipping on festive beverages in the serene garden setting.
• Saturday, December 7: To Grandmother’s House We Go! (4-7 PM)
  Step back in time with family-friendly activities and stories that celebrate holiday traditions of the past.
• Friday, December 13: Sip & Learn: Hot Cups of Culture (4-6 PM)
  Warm up with delightful drinks while exploring cultural traditions tied to the holiday season.
• Friday, December 20: Carolers and Hot Chocolate (5:30-7 PM)
  Revel in the holiday spirit as carolers fill the garden with classic tunes, accompanied by steaming cups of hot chocolate.

A Holiday Highlight

Night Lights is the perfect way to embrace the holiday season with family and friends. Whether you’re enjoying the illuminated paths, singing along to carols, or sipping on hot cocoa, the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden promises a magical experience to cherish.

Mark your calendar and make Night Lights part of your holiday tradition. Admission is free, making it a must-visit event for creating joyful memories this season. For more details, visit the Museum of the Grand Prairie’s website or social media pages.

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The football rematch between St. Joseph-Ogden and Tolono Unity on Saturday (Nov. 9) in an IHSA second-round Class 3A playoff game started out like the battle that was projected.

Both teams scored touchdowns and made the extra-point kicks on their first possessions.

The game was tied, 7-7, with 3 minutes and 45 seconds left in the opening quarter.

From there, the home team Rockets tallied 28 unanswered points to move into the quarterfinals with a 35-7 victory at Hicks Field.

“Some days, you’re the bear and some days, the bear gets you,” SJ-O coach Shawn Skinner said. ”Unity played hard and we never could get any momentum.”

SJ-O had a streak of 30 consecutive games where it had scored at least 10 points since a loss to Unity in Week 2 of the 2022 season..

The Rockets were the first to the scoreboard, reaching the end zone on a pass play with 6:54 remaining in the opening stanza.

SJ-O marched downfield and scored on a 7-yard run by Kodey McKinney. The extra-point conversion by Charlie  Schmitz followed and the game was deadlocked.

On the ensuing possession, Unity faced a fourth-and-2 from its own 48-yard line and picked up more than the yardage needed for a first down.

“On a bootleg pass, the ball went through our safety’s hands and they caught it and went 52 yards for a score,” Skinner said.

Unity led, 14-7, in the final minute of the opening quarter and never looked back.

Later in the second period, SJ-O started a possession on its 1-yard line and punted out of the end zone into the wind. The Rockets got the ball just past the 30 and took advantage, increasing their lead to 21-7.

SJ-O twice had drives that penetrated the Unity 20-yard line, but both ended in interceptions.

“We did things that were uncharacteristic of what we’d done all year,” Skinner said. “For the year, we 94 percent (scoring) when in the red zone.

“(Against Unity), we were 1-for-4 and threw two interceptions. We’d only thrown three all year.

“Sometimes that happens.”

The highlight for SJ-O was the final-game performance of senior receiver Coy Taylor.

He hauled in seven passes for 34 yards and eclipsed the all-time IHSA state record for career receptions.

Taylor finished with 259, two more than Marist’s Nic Weishar had between 2010-13.

“Coy has the record, but that is a credit to everyone who has had a hand on our offense,” Skinner said.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Taylor also ended with the fourth-best IHSA career receiving yardage total, 3,658 yards. He hauled in 83 passes this year for 1,045 yards, his third straight season with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Against Unity, Tanner Siems caught four passes from McKinney for 77 yards. For the season, Siems was second on the team with 31 catches for 541 yards.

McKinney connected on 13 of 20 passes for 122 yards against  the Rockets. He ended his junior year with an accuracy rate of 76.2 percent (157 of 206) and threw for 2,335 yards.

The SJ-O running attack was limited to 59 yards on 22 carries, leaving the team with 181 yards of total offense.

“We’re frustrated we came up short,” Skinner said, “but we’re not defined by that game. We had an undefeated regular season and that was a tremendous feat.

“It really was a pretty special season. It hurts because we want to keep coaching them.”

In the history of the SJ-O football program, this was the 13^th season for winning at least 10 games.

Wyatt Wertz (78 points) was the Spartans’ top scorer for the 11 games. Siems and Taylor each scored 72 points. Schmitz totaled 65 points and was 56-for-59 on extra  points. McKinney and Tim Blackburn-Kelley both ended with 54 points.

SJ-O’s freshmen team finished with a 7-0 record. The school’s junior varsity squad was 4-3.

“We had a great group of seniors, but we’re in a good spot and there are a lot of reasons I feel good about the direction we are headed.

“The freshmen, sophomore and junior groups are kids who like football and are excited about the opportunity they will have.”

SJ-O finishes the year with a 10-1 record.

Unity carries an 8-3 record into a quarterfinal home game against Nashville (10-1) on Saturday (Nov. 16) at 2 p.m.

The post St. Joseph-Ogden’s Undefeated Season Ends as Unity Rockets Surge to 35-7 Win in IHSA 3A Playoff Rematch; Coy Taylor Sets All-Time IHSA Career Receptions Record appeared first on .

One senior and four underclassmen were the scoring runners on Saturday (Nov. 9) for the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ cross-country team, which ended 12^th in the IHSA Class 1A state meet at Detweiller Park, in Peoria.

Senior Jack Fisher was the team’s top placer. He covered the 3-mile course in 15:35.98.

He was followed by junior Lance Retz (86^th in a career-best 16:00.17), sophomore Colin Burnett (115^th in 16:17.40), sophomore Nate Farney (131^st in 16:25.44) and freshman Eli Franklin (45^th in 16:35.60).

There were 258 runners at state in 1A.

The other SJ-O competitors were seniors E.J. Beckett (172^nd in 16:49.80) and Joe Grebat (180^th in 16:57.13).

The 1A team title was won by Niles Northridge Prep (126 points), followed by Elmwood (156 points) and Eureka (165 points). SJ-O was 12^th with 358 points.

There were 30 full teams at state.

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fred@mahometdaily.com

All-State runners Savanna Franzen and Grace Bressner were the catalysts for the St Joseph-Ogden girls’ cross-country team, which placed 12^th out of 30 teams on Saturday (Nov. 9) in the IHSA Class 1A girls’ cross-country state meet.

Franzen, a senior, became a three-time All-Stater in cross-country. She was timed in 17 minutes, 45.50 seconds on the 3-mile course at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

Freshman teammate Grace Bressner nabbed the 25^th and final All-State spot. Her time was 17:55.90.

Bressner and another freshman, Tessa Walker, posted career-best times. Walker ran 54^th in 18:46.20.

The other SJ-O state participants were sophomore Abigail Bello (164^th in 20:29.80), junior Sydney Steinbach (234^th in 22:57.30) and sophomore Kiah Riesel (245^th in24:20.20).

Franzen is the fifth girl from SJ-O to earn at least three All-State honors in cross-country. The others were Faith Houston (four), Chelsea Blaase (three), Amy Roberts (three) and Ashley Wright (three).

The 2024 state race marks the fourth time the Spartans have had at least two All-Staters in the same girls’ race. There were three in 2014 and two each in 1990 and 1991.

Team honors went to Williamsville (171 points) followed by Tolono Unity (173) and Anna-Jonesboro (177 points).

SJ-O was 12^th with 371 points.

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fred@mahometnews.com

Nolan Earley didn’t want the last-minute stress.

He wanted to avoid the uncertainty.

He was reluctant to procrastinate.

The St. Joseph-Ogden senior multi-sport athlete avoided one of the pitfalls that befall many high schoolers who postpone a decision about their athletic futures.

When the current school year began in August, Earley had the answers. He knew what he was doing and where he was going.

In another year.

He committed to Southwest Illinois College, a community college in Belleville, to play baseball for the next two years, beginning in the spring of 2026.

“I wanted to start my year with a clear mind and just be able to go out and enjoy everything my senior year has to offer,” Earley said. “I want to concentrate on making great memories with my friends, teammates and family before I head off to college in the summer.”

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound pitcher committed to SWIC on Aug. 16.

The connection that prompted Earley to plan to relocate to southern Illinois is the SWIC coach, David Garcia, who was among the youth coaches whom he worked with years ago.

Garcia is entering his sixth year as head coach at SWIC and has a career record of 142-97-1.

“At 14 and 15, my travel ball coach (David Garcia) for the Paign City Rox recognized my talent, competitiveness and bulldog mentality,” Earley said. “That was when I started envisioning that if I decided to take the college route, this could be in my future. 

“My parents (Ryan and Jill Earley) encouraged me to have fun, compete and the rest just fell into place.”  

Earley’s love for baseball was nurtured at a young age. In addition to the school teams he has played for, he was a member of four different travel teams since he was 9.

He had many influential role models in his life.

“A lot of mentors and coaches have developed me in different ways over the years and taught me a lot of things,” Earley said. “I think every single coach I had at one time, left an impression on me in some way.”

He was coached by Brandon McFarland while at Urbana Middle School.

During his 9-and-under and 10-and-under seasons with the Xpress Champaign, he was coached by Jake Buchanan.

Earley spent the next three travel seasons with the Champaign Dream, where Bryan Johnson, Mike Brazelton, Mike Orton and Joe Immke worked with him at various times.

Garcia was his coach during the 14-and-under and 15-and under seasons.

He was under the guidance of Bob Sears, Josh Miller and B.J. Burkhart during his 16-and-under and 17-and-under seasons with the Rawlings Tigers.

During high school ball at SJ-O, his coaches have been Josh Haley, Mitch Pruemer and Jayden Miller.

“Coach Haley at SJ-O and the coaching staff have made an impact by pushing me to be the best I can be, believing in me and pushing me to be a leader,” Earley said.

During his recruitment, Earley received interest from four-year schools as well as junior colleges. He kept his career path in mind as he narrowed down his list of options.

Besides SWIC, the other NJCAA Division II campus visits Earley made were to Danville Area Community College and Parkland College.

“I declined any visits with (four-year) universities as I knew that I was going to take the junior college route and chose that my sophomore year of high school,” Earley said. “For me, I felt like this was the better fit with the career field and trades I am interested in.

“At junior college levels, I would have more of a chance to play right out of high school and I am not sure I wanted to commit to four more years of school.”

As he contemplated the choices, one question was the determining factor.

“Settling into my choice was tough for only the reason of having to decide if I wanted to be three hours away from home vs. 30 minutes from home,” Earley said. “I wanted to be sure to visit the schools that were close to home, but deep down I knew SWIC was what I was always leaning towards.

“With the amazing offer of academics, living arrangements and having the personal connections to the SWIC coach who has believed in me early on, is what pulled all the weight. SWIC just feels like home. My parents have stood by me and have always said they want what I want, so I knew they would support me with whatever decision I made.”

Earley made his first visit to SWIC in December, 2023. He received a scholarship offer at that time.

“I was very lucky in the fact that I didn’t chase recruitment at all,” he said. “The schools who were interested in me came and watched me at high school games or over the summer.

“Some coaches found me by tweets on twitter of baseball stats that SJ-O was posting, or my travel team. At that point, they would contact me or my coaches.”

The difficulty for Earley came after hearing from the three coaches.

“All the texts, phone calls, emails and then the decision-making was stressful,” Earley said. “It felt like pressure.  Although I felt blessed, I got tired of thinking and talking about it.

“I think the hardest part of the process is letting the coaches know that I didn’t want to come to a visit or that I was going a different direction. They obviously saw something in me and took their time to make connections with me, so that was the hardest part.”

From the time Earley committed to SWIC, it would be about 18 months before he’d suit up for his first official collegiate game. That’s plenty of time to continue honing his skills and finding a niche.

“I see fitting in wherever the SWIC coaches see me benefiting my team the most,” Earley said. “My coach has told me to just keep striving for mental and physical growth. That is a big part of baseball.

“I feel like once I reach the college level, it will be a new beginning. It doesn’t matter what I have done in the past to get myself there, it will be the work I put in to grow and develop more.

“Not only on the field but also off the field. I feel like with my work ethic and competitive attitude, I won’t fall short. However, nothing is handed to you, so I will have to earn it. I am looking forward to working with my new teammates and coaches and being part of the SWIC program.”

SJ-O coach Josh Haley sees Earley as someone who will contribute at SWIC.

“Nolan has continued to improve each season on the mound and has grown into a top of the rotation pitcher,” Haley said. “Nolan is a competitor that expects to win and compete each time he takes the ball.

“Nolan has a tremendous opportunity to pitch at SWIC.  There have been several SJ-O players pitch in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC) the past several years.  It is a competitive conference that offers players an opportunity to advance their academic and athletic careers.”

Establishing himself in college will be no different than what he had to do after enrolling in high school.

Earley moved from Urbana into the SJ-O district prior to the start of his freshman year.

“At that time, I knew I would have to prove myself being new,” he said. “Although I knew a lot of the kids from here and had already played travel baseball with some of them for years, I had to prove myself to the coaches who didn’t know me at all.

“The (high school) coaches had coached the kids throughout middle school and I would need to put the work in to show them. My whole freshman year I just had to be patient. I had to wait to be seen.”

When Earley’s sophomore year began, he was originally issued a JV jersey.

“After practicing with varsity, I earned a spot and never touched the JV field once,” he said. “I was a starter for all varsity games (primarily at third base and as part of the pitching rotation).”

He was the Spartans’ Gold Glove award winner for the 2023 season. After the 2024 season, Earley earned the team’s Pitcher of the Year award.

“I am really looking forward to my senior spring season,” he said. “We have a great group this upcoming year and I am excited to see how far we will go.

“I want to go out and be a leader, compete, have a good time, make memories with my friends and win.”

Though he plays football – and excels for the undefeated and state-ranked SJ-O football team – baseball has been Earley’s first love.

“I don’t even remember not playing baseball,” he said. “I started in T-Ball at the age you’re able to sign up and have been playing baseball ever since.”

Earley plans on majoring in Construction Management at SWIC, which was 37-21 last spring.

“In 10 years, I see myself working in the construction or trade fields and hopefully starting a family,” he said.

At SJ-O, he has played three sports, but gave up basketball after his freshman year to have a break between seasons and also to start training for baseball. He is also a member of the undefeated Spartan football team (10-0) that will play a second-round playoff game on Saturday (Nov. 9) at Tolono Unity (7-3). He is one of the team’s top three tacklers.

“Baseball has always been my true love and passion,” Earley said. “There was not another time that I favored another sport growing up.

“I really like football and have enjoyed playing it but I haven’t played football my whole life like baseball.  Football and baseball are completely different sports and provide different feelings of success. Baseball is what I can not live without.”

Some schools were interested in Earley for football.

“At first, I kind of thought that they must have done that for everyone, but he (coach Shawn Skinner) confirmed it was only on specific people that got requested,” Earley said. “Coach forwarded me the information to fill out, and I did not complete the link, and carried on.

“At that the end of my junior year season, I had coaches reaching out to me personally to play football collegiately at the NCAA Division III level. I did not want to commit to four years of school and knew that I was on a junior college path.”

The distance from home to Belleville is one of the adjustments that Earley will face as he embarks on his collegiate career.

“The transition will be tough not being with my parents and sister (2023 SJ-O graduate Katie) but I am sure I will be able to settle in,” he said. “I will know some teammates on my college team due to playing with them or against them over the years.

“I have an aunt and uncle that also only live about 45 minutes away in Missouri. My parents are great supporters and I know they will get to some games, so I know I won’t go too long without seeing them.”

As a junior at SJ-O, Earley had a 5-0 pitching record and a 2.11 earned run average. In 53 innings, he struck out 63 batters.

He was also a force at the plate for a 32-5 team. He batted .342 and compiled 12 multi-hit games.

As a sophomore on a 28-8 team, Earley was also 5-0 on the mound for the Spartans and had a 3.22 ERA. He fanned 40 batters in 32 innings. That year, he hit .268 with six multi-hit games.

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The post Voting Resumes in Champaign County Following Technical Issue; Clerk Seeks Extended Hours Until 9 PM appeared first on .

Voters across Champaign County experienced significant setbacks at polling locations this morning as network issues temporarily halted the voting process, impacting residents’ ability to cast their ballots. Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons confirmed to WCIA that the problem is affecting nearly all polling sites across the county.

According to Ammons, the network issues are extensive, but no timeline for resolution has been provided. Efforts to communicate with the vendor responsible for election technology have reportedly gone unanswered, leaving election officials and voters in a state of uncertainty.

To mitigate the impact of the outage, Ammons is seeking an injunction through the State’s Attorney to extend voting hours, aiming to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the election despite the delays.

Some voting stations are using workarounds. Champaign County voters can vote at any polling location.

To find a vote center visit: https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/vote-centers.

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